Page 14 - Packaging News Sep-Oct 2020

14 SUSTAINABILITY | www.packagingnews.com.au | September-October 2020
E-commerce sans single-use plastics
New Zealand home compostable packaging supplier to the global e-commerce market, The Better Packaging Co, and Seko Logistics are partnering
to help replace single-use plastics in global e-commerce fulfillment supply chains.
Lindy Hughson reports.
E-COMMERCE industry reports show that 48 per cent of consumers want recycla- ble packaging, and the new partnership announced in July between Seko Logistics and Better Packaging seeks to meet this demand.
Seko plans to use Better Packaging’s range of products, such as comPOST pack courier satchels and comPOLY garment bags, within its own e-commerce fulfill- ment operations. Seko customers perform- ing their own packing will also qualify for price discounts when they choose to source or custom brand Better Packaging products.
The partnership will be initiated in Australia, but Seko’s customers in China, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe, as well as in New Zealand will also benefit.
Speaking to PKN, co-founder and direc- tor of Better Packaging Kate Bezar said: “The Better Packaging Co. feels a great sense of urgency to replace single-use plas- tics with more sustainable alternatives and this partnership with Seko Logistics will
enable us to do that
at great scale. We
are very proud to
have been chosen
by Seko Logistics as
their key supplier of home compostable packaging solutions and look forward to making positive change together and a real dent in the world’s plastic problem.”
Seko, which manages over five mil- lion e-commerce shipments a year for customers globally, expects immediate interest in Better Packaging’s sustain- able products from fashion and health and beauty brands.
Kai Lincoln, managing director of Seko’s Cross Border e-commerce division, said: “Seko is committed to improving the envi- ronment and giving our clients new solu- tions to support their own sustainability programs. We are delighted to be working with Better Packaging and see this as a partnership with a global ambition to make a real, positive difference.
“New consumer research shows that international shoppers want this too,
because they are highly aware of their environmental impact and are choosing to buy from brands that offer sustainable packaging solutions.
“Packaging and logistics, especially e-commerce fulfillment, go hand-in-hand, and while we can’t eliminate packaging altogether, we can all take steps as busi- nesses and consumers to improve the world we live in,” Lincoln said.
In other news for Better Packaging, the company has launched several new products (pallet wrap, hanging garment bags and hygiene liners) and relaunched a couple – bubble bags with a paper exte- rior layer, and labels with a green border so people can easily identify that they’re compostable.
Bezar tells PKN that while Covid-19 has impacted all areas of the business, lock- down gave the team an opportunity to work ‘on’ the business since they couldn’t work ‘in’ the business, and this has had positive results, not least of which is the Seko partnership. “Demand has picked up and we’re back on track to meet our pro- jected turnover,” Bezar said.
Since PKN last reported on Better Packaging (PKN Jan-Feb 2020), the company has expanded its international operations and, in partnership with 3PL companies, now has warehouses and distribution hubs in Australia, New Zealand, UK (servicing Europe), US (servicing North America) and China(servicingAsiaandSouthAmerica). ■
Better Packaging Co’s comPOST pack courier satchels and comPOLY garment bags can also be customised with a brand-owner’s artwork.
A BETTER ALTERNATIVE
Better Packaging has developed sustainable (compostable, biodegradable, and recyclable) alternatives to traditional plastic packaging such as courier bags, poly bags and padded mailers to encourage the e-commerce and retail industry to make the swap. Brands can customise the packaging with their logos and marketing messages.
The corn-based feedstock for the packaging is sourced in Asia, where the packaging is also manufactured. Co-founder Kate Bezar explains that the corn source was stockpiled by the Chinese government in years past in case of famine. The product is no longer fit for human consumption, she
says, but can be converted to cornstarch and ultimately into a bio-based plastic that can be combined with PLA to form the packaging substrate that is used for the bags and labels.
While the packaging is compostable in home composting facilities, Better Packaging is also in the process of establishing a global network of collection points for certified compostable packaging, which Bezar says should be established before year end. A customised app has been developed for consumers to access information about the closest collection point by scanning a QR code on the packaging.